Michigan Football: Breaking down each ranked opponent for Wolverines

Irish at home

Michigan football came so close to taking down the highly ranked Fighting Irish in South Bend last season, giving hope for a thrilling victory on October 26, 2019. Currently, the Irish sit behind the Wolverines at ninth in the nation.

Fear is what Michigan should be feeling as Notre Dame spent the entire season winning until being pitted against the eventual National Champions in the College Football Playoff, finishing the season at 12-1. Clemson might have embarrassed the Irish 30-3, but every ranked team Notre Dame played before them, they handled.

On defense, defensive end Julian Okwara and safety Alohi Gilman are going to give Michigan trouble. The two men accounted for 133 tackles and three interceptions in 2018.

On offense, Ian Book is returning a season after usurping the season-opening starter Brandon Wimbush. Despite not starting the season, Book threw for more yards than Shea.

This game will be the first real test for the Wolverines if they can arrive undefeated to this point.

This is not the Fighting Irish’s first test.

A few weeks before traveling west to Ann Arbor, Notre Dame will fly south to battle the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs for a night game. Should the Fighting Irish win that game, they will come to Michigan as the most confident team in the nation.